Eyes of the Devil
by not-the-devil-yet
Summary: "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."
1. Where It All Began

**Author's Note: Before you're all confused, this story is an AU. Not much else can be said without ruining it, so without any further adieu, enjoy! :)**

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The glass was stained with blood, the air thick with heavy breaths and labored gasps. The harsh winter chill had frozen the outside world, leaving the warm cabin retreat to flop and flounder in its still wake. The air within the wooden walls' confines was humid, heavy with the predator's presence. The once happy, loving home had only been filled with sorrow this winter, the death toll peaking quickly and swiftly. What was once a group of four life-long friends spending the season away from humanity, surrounded by the snow-covered forests and animals as if they were in some sort of mystical fairy tale, had since turned to panic, terror, a real-life horror movie. It all began when they all heard a loud bang that sounded strangely similar to the back door of their home shutting rather quickly. Fearful glances were shared before one of the taller, stronger women approached the back portion of the cozy cabin. First, only suspenseful silence was heard. The remaining friends, two men and a tiny, pale female, watched each other's gazes closely, as if perhaps if they held on to each other's eyes, all would be well and their friend would return unharmed. "_The wind probably blew it open._" one man suggested, though none believed the half-hearted hope. Then, they heard it; one loud, terrifying screech echoed against the logged walls, followed by another, and another, and another...the two men rushed up and out of their seats, scurrying off as swiftly as possible to go rescue their friend. The remaining friend, the same pale, petite female who had suggested this vacation to begin with, stayed idle and frozen in her position on the sofa. More screams followed, this time with three different voices echoing against her ears. All three, she recognized clearly; her friends. Kaitlyn, Daniel, Trent...all three had screams and shouts represented in the muffled mush of terror that seemed to be playing on repeat through the isolated cabin. Eventually, the shouts ceased, the silence thickening with each and every passing second as the little girl sat and waited for her impending demise. She watched the doorway that led to the back of the house, waited impatiently for someone, anyone, to appear and stand before her. Soon enough, someone did appear in the doorway; a bigger, taller man who, had she not been expecting him to murder her, she would probably think to insult or joke about. He was drenched in blood, though the sight didn't frighten the brave girl. Considering all of the horror movies and video games she had gone through over her years, she was seemingly numb to all of the gore and blood that covered the strange man. He wasted little time with her, knocking her around and intimidating her until he finally had her tied to a dining chair he had found only a few moments prior. Insults and threats were spewed and shared between them, but ultimately, he left her alone, instead opting to first leave and retreat back to his original crime scene, then move to watch her closely.

_That was three days ago._

The new, intruding figure, a man whose name had yet to be uttered, paced the dusty floors almost rhythmically, redundantly, as if his own inner thoughts preceded reality's happenings. The residence's sole survivor, a young girl by the name of AJ Lee, hadn't moved in days, rope and tape keeping her hands and feet bound in a rough, makeshift attempt of keeping her stationary against a dining chair. The young girl shouted, screamed and pleaded. For days and days on end, she begged. _"Don't you have any compassion?! Show some god damn sympathy_!" she implored, though the man only laughed in the face of her fear. There were times when she believed he was about to release her, his body and his piercing eyes moving dangerously close to hers. Dark hazel eyes met shining blue, and even if just for a split second, she felt at peace. He would be emotionless at first, simply staring at her, but when their eyes met, he would smile. It was comforting, it put her worried mind at ease. "_Can you untie me now?"_ she would ask, her tone sweet as honey as she tried her hand at seducing him, convincing him. He would play along at first, leaning in to kiss her gently before abruptly pulling away and laughing at her upset, angered expression that followed. It was only hours later, when nightfall had fallen and the windows had darkened from the shady midnight hours, that he calmed, sitting in a chair across the room from his victim. All had gone quiet, the woman sleeping almost peacefully in her captivity. It was as if, despite the cruel circumstances and despite the deaths of her friends, she had begun to accept her dreadful fate. This put the dark criminal's mind at ease and he, too, soon was enveloped in sleep's gentle embrace.

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**Author's Note: This was a sort of prologue, introduction of sorts. Feedback is welcome and the more this receives, the more likely I'll be to update and continue it! :)**


	2. Lost In You

**Author's Note: You asked for it, you got it. Chapter Two has arrived! :)**

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The early dawn's light shone through the glassy, fogged windows, the sleep from the night still heavy in her dark hazel eyes as she awoke. Much to her disdain, her hands and feet were still bound to the chair, her mouth still dry and longing for food that she hadn't tasted in days. Her tongue slid across her dried lips in an almost detached fashion, her mind elsewhere as she sighed an exasperated, exhausted breath. Her head swam in a hazy daze, false fantasies and wishful daydreams painting a much happier picture of the world that, over the past few days, she had begun to despise. Her initial hopes of her friends still living had long since dissipated, but that fact did nothing to slash her determination of being different. Just as she had done the days prior, the petite girl began to squirm her hands wildly, hoping to either escape the rope's tight binds or to find a way to untie them. In the distance, she heard the low grumble of what sounded like the coffee maker, and the thought of her captor being awake and alert so early was enough to send more speed and panic into her hands' already rapid motions. With each sound, more terror ran through her veins and with each failed attempt, more perseverance ran through her brain. Only the voice of the man who held her hostage could stop her frantic struggles, and just that occurred only moments later.

"Good morning, AJ." His tone was soft, casual, hypnotic in every sense of the word. Despite her desire of being free, the man's voice still put a temporary end to her panic and worry. Her gaze drifted slowly over, gliding briefly over his figure before looking up and locking eyes. That had occurred on a seemingly endless amount of occasions over their days together, though she wasn't as nervous of it as she had been originally. Light blue pierced through hazel as a thick veil of silence blanketed the pair, all thoughts of escape or otherwise disappearing within a matter of only seconds. It was as if it were a battle of strength, a way of finding which was the weaker link. Neither wanted to break the gaze, but soon enough she forced her eyes to be torn away from the captivating sea of blue, allowing her gaze to drift away from the strange man and instead settling on the glossy windowpanes that separated them from the outside world. Her hands, calloused and weary, crept up to the rough rope's knots, her fingers ghosting over them once more as she slowly tried to find an opening. A grimace dark with disgust and hatred drew across her chapped lips as she caught glimpse of the man walking towards her. Her mind immediately jumped to the unattractive decision that this was just another of his silly mind games. He would get up close, his breaths mixing effortlessly with her own, his devious smile being unwillingly committed to her memory. He would trick her again, she was sure of it. So, when the man approached her and looked her over, she only watched with a look of disinterest, expecting only the routine manipulations and jokes. What she _didn't_ expect was for his hands to lightly take hers, holding them in a warm gesture that she would only expect from a friend, not a foe and most definitely not a killer. Her breaths hitched, a cool chill shooting down her spine at the man's soft touch. His thumbs began to trace little circles atop her hands, causing a relaxed sigh to involuntarily escape the petite woman's lips.

"AJ, AJ..." His tone was insulting, the same type of tone that a parent would use when punishing or scolding a child who had misbehaved. She felt frozen, still in her paralyzing anxiety as his breath tickled her neck, her name's utterance only a symbol of her recent degradation. In the farthest stretches of her mind, she knew that she should fight back, give this cause all that she had. But somewhere hidden deep within her soul, she reckoned otherwise. She, too, had her ways with mind games. Her hands, though held within her captor's loosely, were then turned ever so slightly, squirming in his hold just as a small act of defiance and resistance. "Let go of me, you...you _bastard_." she spat, her dried fingers squirming rigorously within his grasp. A hearty laugh beat across her ears, her hands surprisingly being released shortly following. Her fidgets seized then, her wrists calming against the familiar binds that held them as she glared at her captor with conspicuous bewilderment. He walked from behind her, moving in front of the chair that imprisoned her with an amused, happy smile. The sight sickened her, only adding to the anger inside of her. "Is there anything else?" he asked, taking the petite girl off guard with the question. That was the first time since the two met that he had even asked her a question, much less questioned her of her opinion on anything. She searched his gaze in a desperate attempt of finding a sign of the lie or a sign that perhaps the question had been only a joke, but found no evidence to support that theory. This only fueled her already fiery, angry fury, a look of disgust again ghosting over her tired face as she glared at the man. "Anything else? What the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean?!" she spewed, her words laced with indignation. "You...you're _killing_ me! You killed my friends, you completely_ ruined_ my vacation, you tied me to this damn ch-"

"I'm not killing you." he interrupted, his tone matter of fact as he moved to sit on the sofa across from her. "I have no plans of killing you, AJ. Your heart, it beats to its own rhythm, your eyes, they see more than just black and white...your friends, well, they weren't as smart as you. Do you understand?" She nodded understandably, though her hazy mind only briefly skimmed over his words. "You're different. Special. Much more powerful than your ignorant friends ever gave you credit for." His gaze floated to the windowpanes for a moment, silence taking the chance and falling over the strange pair. The captive girl watched the man for a few seconds, soaking up every last fiber of the comforting silence. She wanted to question him, interrogate him as to why he did what he did, why he said what he did, why he thought that she was special and different...but her hazy, confused mind could only create and come up with one simple question; _"Will you untie me now?"_

His attention slowly drifted back to hers, a thoughtful expression etched across his face as she uttered her question. For a brief moment, a twinge of hope shot through her body. Was he going to finally release her? Was he finally going to allow her to be free? All of these questions and more swam through her mind as she watched him quickly get lost in his own thoughts, reality again taking a back seat to his inner contemplations. "Not today." he finally concluded, a smile tracing across his lips as he purposely locked eyes with the girl once more. "But don't you worry, Miss Lee. You will be released soon. Not today...but soon, my dear, soon." This time, he was the one to break the eye contact, standing to his feet and leaving the room, leaving the pale girl to brood over her failure alone in silence and solidarity. She watched the man walk away, then looked to the foggy windowpanes once more, her own thoughts this time distracting her from her cruel reality. What did he mean that she was special, different? How was she powerful? She questioned his words over and over and over again, spending the day agonizing over his baffling, confounding compliments. For the first time in days, her mind wasn't musing over her captivity, but instead over her captor's words. Despite the puzzling aspect of them, she was determined to figure them out, and soon.

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**Author's Note: Don't worry, we'll release the damsel in distress soon!...maybe. ;) **  
**Anyway, feedback and reviews are what keeps this train a-rollin'. :)**


	3. The Look of the Lamb

**Author's Note: I'm proud of this one. Enjoy! :)**

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Just as it had done for all of her time in captivity, the night prior's sleep had come abruptly, yet softly, her thoughts slowly drawing to a halt as her drowsy eyes fell to a close. Her head, heavy with worry and subconscious fear, would droop downward, her dark hair framing her starved, deprived figure in an almost beautiful way. Despite her current conditions, her dreams and slumbers remained joyful, a peaceful melody in the midst of a tragic symphony. Unlike her conscious mind, her sleeping thoughts never once thought of the future, but only of the past. The future, as she had concluded silently on a number of occasions recently, wasn't necessarily bright or promising. The past, however, was full of smiles, laughs, sincerity and love, friends and family...things that she lacked and, to be quite honest, things that she truly missed. Her captor did show compassion, but only rarely. It was those times that she hated to think of, because the man showing compassion and sympathy towards her only caused her mind to become frantic with thoughts of what her future may potentially hold. It frightened her, the thought of staying with the man for the rest of her fateful days. It was that fear, that tense, paralyzing fear, that she refused to voice. Regardless, the fear never intruded in her innocent dreams, as sleep guarded her mind heavily during those hours of naive, selfish desires. For hours, the leaden slumber blanketed the woman's mind, preventing any of reality's cruel ways from haunting her thoughts. Just as a young child would doze off after a busy day at school, the petite girl would drift off into her own personal dream land, all tangible evidence of being held hostage by a murderer nonexistent in her fantasy-like escape. Only when finally awakening would the true horror of everything become visible, and that was just what occurred in the dreary morning of her sixth day in captivity.

She knew it felt strange, off in every way that she could imagine, when she first awoke. Her feet were untied, as were her hands. She wasn't sitting up, but instead lied out on a bed, the blankets and sheets pulled up over frail body and tucked in nicely on the bed's edges. Her eyes became wide, a fearful stare scanning the dark bedroom slowly. The first thought that shot through her mind was simply "_Run!_", though upon attempting to fulfill that suggestion, she found it nearly impossible. Her legs, her arms, every bone in her body, felt sore, resistant of even her own movements. A helpless whine escaped her lips at that realization. For a brief moment, defeat washed over her. For days, she had refused to give up, to give in to her impending failure. But then? In that instance, she felt powerless, weak, defenseless. She forced her body to turn to the side, a louder, more painful whine escaping her at the sudden change in position. Her moist tongue slid thoughtfully over her dried lips, wetting them and trying to quell the hunger that rumbled deep within her stomach. A thought flew fleetingly though her mind then, almost as an afterthought, a careless, off-the-wall idea. If the man who held her captive was kind enough to untie and move her, would he be so kind as to feed her, too? She pondered it for a couple of moments, musing sleepily over the subject until she saw the bedroom door creak open, the wood squeaking quietly as her nameless captor entered the room. Hazel again drifted effortlessly up to blue, silence speaking the words neither wanted to say as he moved over to the bed, sitting on the opposite side of his victim, eyes never once separating from her own. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, and it took the girl a few moments to truly process the four simple words. Hazel finally left blue, instead floating down to the mattress before ultimately closing, a tired sigh replacing the gaze. "I want to leave." she whispered, her voice softer than she even knew that it could be. Her eyes remained shut, her mind and her soul knowing for a fact that she was not prepared for the rejection. Not again. She didn't want to face him, witness his disagreement, not anymore. She didn't want to live like that, like_ this, _fearful of a ruthless criminal who had a strange fascination and adoration for her.

"AJ, AJ...you don't want that." She heard his voice, just as she felt the mattress shift when he stood to his feet. Seconds later, the door's eerie creak echoed against her ears, the wooden floor's planks squeaking with each step as she listened carefully to the man's departure. Only minutes later, when she was sure that she was alone once again, did she open her eyes. Her stare stayed glued to the bedroom door for what felt like hours, waiting in pure anticipation for the man to re-enter, to tie her up once more, to torture and to finally end all of her pain. But something inside of her continued to attempt to convince her that those wants and lusts would never come to a head. She wouldn't be tied up again. She wouldn't be tortured again. She wouldn't be killed, no matter how much she wished for it. He had already told her otherwise, had he not? A frown ghosted across her face at that conclusion, a feeling of defeat again washing over her entire body as she lied helpless in the luxurious bed. The rest of the day was spent just as any other, with reality taking a back seat to her dreams and her mindless wandering and wading through the countless desires that danced freely through her mind. Night fell, and sleep wasn't too far behind. She moved occasionally in her sleep, the random, pain-filled moan escaping her weary lips. The freedom from the rope's binds gave her the space and the chance to fidget and move as her subconscious wanted, the ability probably causing more pain than she intended, though that would have to wait until the morning. Tonight, sleep was in control. Not the wind blowing against the glass windows, not the owls chirping in the distance, and not even her captor walking in and leaving a plate of breakfast only minutes before she awoke, could pull the girl away from her enchanted wonderland. 

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**Author's Note: See? She gets food now! Because he's sweet like that, mhm. Anyway, feedback is always welcome! :)**


	4. Awake My Soul

**Author's Note: Mumford & Sons have a song by this Chapter's name and it somewhat inspired it. Enjoy! :)**

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Eyes heavy with the past's deep slumber, the girl initially believed that the plate set on the nightstand next to the bed was only an illusion. She was seeing things, going insane, she was sure of it. Despite her belief that it was only a delusion created to further destroy her self-esteem, the petite woman still inched over to it, the pain from the day before not as bothersome or cruel as it had been previously. After a couple of minutes, she was face to face with a plate of only a simple, steaming breakfast, but in her mind, it was as if she had just discovered a chest of treasure, the key to Heaven's gates. She was in disbelief, astounded that without even mentioning it, the man had known just what she wanted, just what she needed. For a brief moment, she again thought that perhaps he wasn't so bad, after all. After all, hadn't he untied her and moved her to a bed in her sleep only a few nights ago? Now he had cooked her breakfast and left it for her. It was as if she was being pampered, that after days and days of torture and savagery, she was finally being treated like a human being. That was quite the beautiful thought, and an actual smile, however small and subtle, appeared on her face at the notion. She pushed her body up gently, coming to a sitting position against the bed's countless pillows. Her head naturally fell back against the clouds of white, a thankful, relieved sigh escaping her hungry lips. A moment of silence passed, as if she was silently praying and thanking a God that she wasn't even sure existed, for allowing her to keep her life. She soon moved again, this time to take the plate in her hands and place it upon her lap. The plate's heat was warm against her weary bones, and she mentally reminded herself to thank the man next time he appeared before her. Sure, he may have murdered her friends, broken into her vacation home, and held her hostage for a week, but she had to admit, he _did_ seem to care an awful lot about her well-being.

She wasted no time in devouring the searing foods, her feasting almost ravenous in fashion. After days of no food and only a scarce amount of water, a steaming plate of breakfast was a beautiful saving grace. She only paused when the bedroom door creaked open, her captor entering the room with a coffee mug in hand. Her smile from before faded at the sight, as she still wasn't exactly sure what to think of the man. She wanted so badly to give him a piece of her mind, to rant and rave at him and to tell him to leave her alone. But...she couldn't do that. No, he had been too kind over the past couple of days. She knew that the best way would be to appear grateful because, well, she was. She was eternally and utterly grateful for the generous hospitality that he had offered her, so when he walked near the bed and set the coffee mug onto the nightstand, she flashed him a small, thankful smile. Despite her confused opinion and smug words from the days previous, the smile did showcase just a little sincerity, whether she intended to do so or not. He matched her smile with that of his own, leaning in and gently, swiftly, softly planting a kiss onto her lips. He pulled away with the smile still apparent, as if the moment was completely normal for them, but her smile washed away for the second time that morning at the unwanted touch. He moved to sit on the opposite of the bed, the mattress moving somewhat as he sat on the edge opposite her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, and she was surprised by the softness of his words. Unlike the previous times when he spoke, when her body and soul would be filled with rage and hatred, resentment and indignation, she felt only an odd tingling feeling this time, like when an old flame would be accidentally rekindled, all of the sparks and flickers of the love of old setting her heart on fire. Instead of facing him directly, she turned to take the coffee mug in her hands, taking a sip of the dark, fresh liquid before finally looking back over to him. "I'm fine." she ultimately muttered, her eyes drifting back down to the mug wrapped snugly in her hands when silence again overtook the small bedroom. Why did this man have to confuse her so? He was crazy, he was demented, he was sick, she knew all of these things...so why did he so easily manipulate her emotions? How did he have her so lost and confused in his presence all of a sudden? Another sip of coffee, this one slightly longer than the one prior, tried desperately to erase those thoughts from her mind, the steaming liquid's flow heating her throat in some try at distracting her thoughts from the man seated next to her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, and again, the question sent hoards of butterflies through the woman's soul. This time, she only nodded at first, glancing over to him only a few moments later.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, and upon realizing that question could be interpreted in a number of different ways, she continued. "Why untie me and move me here? Why cook me breakfast and make me coffee? I thought weirdos like you were supposed to be ruthless and evil." She didn't mean the statements and inquiries to be taken as jokes, though she couldn't help the playful tone that laced within the final sentence. She saw a smile appear on his face, and that only added to the thick anticipation within her of his responses that were soon to follow. "You deserved it!" he beamed, a shocking amount of enthusiasm in his words. "You were hungry and thirsty. You wanted to be untied. I only gave you what you desired, Miss Lee." Again, the thought of wanting to be completely free and out of this house shot through her brain, though she quickly pushed it aside. "Thank you." she mumbled, though crystal clear to the man's ears. "I...I don't know what else to say. But thank you." She flashed another small, grateful smile at the man before taking another sip of her coffee, relaxing against the hot beverage's comforting warmth. For once in nearly a week, things seemed almost normal.

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**Author's Note: So what did you guys think? The next Chapter will probably continue from where this one left off, so be prepared! Haha, as usual, feedback is always welcome! :)**


	5. They Say the Best Love is Insane

**Author's Note: This Chapter picks up where the previous chapter left off. The title is a lyric from "What You Wanted" by OneRepublic. Anyway, tons of thanks to M0TI0NL3SS and AnRevival for the kind reviews and follows and such! I didn't even think this would get any good feedback at all, so thank you very much! xx **

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"There's no need to thank me." Those were his next words, but they didn't much phase her or confuse her all that much. He had told her just a few moments prior that he had only done what she wanted, which despite how creepy that would normally appear, she didn't really mind it. It was nice to have someone catering to her every whim, even if it were a strange man whose name she had yet to learn. She looked down to the nearly empty plate of breakfast that still was set atop her lap, her legs warmed under the bed sheets from the platter's long gone heat. She looked at it for a brief moment as she processed her thoughts, laid out her next words carefully so as to guarantee that his next answer would be a clear and concise one. There were so many things that she wanted so desperately to inquire about; her friends' whereabouts, why she was held as a worthless captive for a week, why he decided to choose _her_ vacation home and ruin _her_ vacation...but despite all of those questions that swarmed around in her brain, her mind could only think to speak one; "What's your name?" Yes, that was all that her brain could think of. Out of all of the questions, all of the philosophical, thoughtful inquiries and uncertainties that were scrawled all across the grimy walls of her mind, all she could actually voice was a question equivalent to that of a confused little kindergartner.

In response, he remained silent at first. She didn't look at him, her head swimming with anxiety and worry due to her question. _Such a stupid question_...she thought to herself, her attention down to the plate still on her lap so as to not look over at the man who was probably silent in anger or disgust or both. She couldn't understand why her thoughts were so jumbled, why this stranger's presence alone was enough to make her become so confused, so weak, so nervous with everything and anything at all. She was always so confident, so proud in her words and in her actions...but now? Around him? She could barely utter a simple question without mentally falling apart at the seams. She didn't understand, her mind couldn't even begin to attempt to comprehend why, of all people, all of this confusion had to surround_ her. _Regardless, all of her illogical and slightly irrelevant incertitude was washed away as the man's voice again echoed into the once loving bedroom. **  
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"My name..." AJ looked up then, her attention and focus floating over to the man as his words began to process in her head. "...is Bray Wyatt." The way he spoke his name, the way it flowed so effortlessly into the room, it intrigued her. It was as if that name, that simple combination of letters, that was his entire life. Whether it brought upon love or loathe, hatred or admiration, it seemed to mean everything to him. For a split second, a twinge of pity shocked through her mind; was that all that he had? With that notion in her head, she nodded a little, a small frown ghosting across her lips. He seemed to notice - _in hind sight, she should have known that he would_ - and, with an outstretch of his hand, he placed it upon hers. Skin on skin, flesh on flesh, hand on hand, an electrifying shock of both surprise and uncertainty shot through her entire body, an aura of strange sensitivity and privacy enveloping the pair as if the man were divulging a hidden secret or confessing an undying love.

"Don't pity me." his tone was direct, yet soft, commanding, yet comforting. She had the idea of moving her hand away, somehow rejecting him, but something inside of her kept herself from doing so. The pause that stepped between his words felt longer than it should have been, but she hadn't enough time to comment on it before he continued. "You're a very smart girl, AJ. You have a sense of things most don't even know exist..." the silence that followed these words forced her to think of that admittance, though she couldn't honestly decipher their true meaning. What did he mean by 'things most don't even know exist'? Even _she_ didn't know that they exist! She assumed that he sensed her mental disorientation, as he removed his hand and stood from the bed then, hazel floating hastily over to blue as he walked from his side of the bed to hers, anxiety building up within her at each passing step. He was directly in front of her side of the bed soon, her eyes still locked on his as if she were holding on so very desperately in fear of falling from his grace. "You will understand soon, Miss Lee, I promise you." She wished that he would stop calling her by such a formal moniker, but she didn't have much time at all to think of that as he again leaned over and planted a loving, comforting, caring kiss to her lips, compassion and sympathy dripping from the strange, yet wonderful, moment. For the first time in seven days, the young girl actually accepted the motion, returning all of the love, all of the comfort, all of the care...until he pulled away and broke the contact, that same old smile again covering his face. She couldn't help but match it with her own, the smile remaining even as he left the room. In her solitude, she thought of the conversation, the ending climax, all of it, and all she had was one question in her mind regarding it all..._"What am I doing?"_

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**Author's Note: So! What did you guys think? You know the drill, feedback and such is my favorite dessert. FEED. ME. MORE. -Ryback smash- **


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